Who Owns L'Oréal Paris?

What does L'Oréal own?
L'Oréal owns approximately 37 international beauty brands organized across four divisions. In Consumer Products: L'Oréal Paris, Garnier, Maybelline New York, NYX Professional Makeup, and Essie. In L'Oréal Luxe: Lancôme, Kiehl's, Giorgio Armani Beauty, Yves Saint Laurent Beauté, Urban Decay, and Aesop. In Professional Products: Kérastase, Redken, L'Oréal Professionnel, Matrix, and Color Wow. In Dermatological Beauty: La Roche-Posay, CeraVe, Vichy, and SkinCeuticals.

Is L'Oréal publicly traded?
Yes, L'Oréal S.A. is listed on Euronext Paris under ticker OR and is a component of the CAC 40 index. The company has been publicly traded since 1974. The Bettencourt Meyers family holds approximately 33% of the capital, providing effective influence without majority control. The remainder is held by institutional investors, Nestlé (which holds a reduced minority stake), and public shareholders.

Who founded L'Oréal?
L'Oréal was founded in 1909 by Eugène Schueller, a French chemist who developed a synthetic hair dye formula called Auréale for Parisian hairdressers. Schueller incorporated the company in Clichy and built it into a major French consumer company over his lifetime. His daughter Liliane Bettencourt inherited control of the family holding, and her descendants, the Bettencourt Meyers family, remain the largest shareholders today.

Where is L'Oréal headquartered?
L'Oréal is headquartered in Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France, where Eugène Schueller founded the company in 1909. The headquarters is located in the western suburbs of Paris, close to the company's historic manufacturing and research facilities. L'Oréal's global R&D headquarters is also located in France, in the Aulnay-sous-Bois area.

How many brands does L'Oréal own?
L'Oréal owns approximately 37 international brands across its four divisions. The company has historically grown through acquisition, adding major brands at regular intervals. The most recent significant additions include Aesop (acquired 2023) and Skinbetter Science (2023). The proposed acquisition of Kering Beauté, announced in 2025, would add further brands to the portfolio.

Who owns L'Oréal?
L'Oréal is a publicly traded company. The Bettencourt Meyers family, descendants of founder Eugène Schueller, hold approximately 33% of the capital through their family holding company Téthys. Nestlé S.A. holds a reduced minority stake of less than 10%. The remainder is held by institutional investors worldwide. Nicolas Hieronimus serves as CEO, appointed in May 2021, and Jean-Paul Agon serves as non-executive Chairman.

Is L'Oréal cruelty free?
L'Oréal's brands are not independently certified as cruelty free by Leaping Bunny or PETA's Beauty Without Bunnies program at the group level, primarily because L'Oréal has sold products in markets where animal testing is mandated by local regulators. The company states it does not conduct animal testing itself. Chinese regulatory reforms since 2021 have reduced mandatory testing requirements for ordinary cosmetics. Consumers should verify the current status of individual L'Oréal brands through the Leaping Bunny database, as certification status varies by brand and market.

What is L'Oréal's annual revenue?
L'Oréal reported full-year 2025 sales of €44.05 billion, growth of 4.0% on a like-for-like basis and 1.3% as reported. The operating margin reached a record 20.2%. Earnings per share were €12.71. E-commerce represented 30% of total sales. The company has grown revenue from approximately €25 billion in 2015 to €44 billion in 2025, driven by both organic growth and acquisitions.